Aamir Khan to drive Toyota Innova's aspirations

Executives at Toyota Kirloskar Motor feel that Aamir Khan will help the brand to evolve as a lifestyle and aspirational brand

Brad Pitt and Britney & #BANNER1 & # Spears have already done it. Now it's time for an Indian celebrity to endorse a Toyota brand. The auto major has brought in the versatile actor, Aamir Khan, as the brand ambassador for its latest mid-sized sedan brand, Innova.

Atsushi Toyoshima, managing director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, says, "We have never tried using a celebrity to endorse our brand in India, although we have successfully used this strategy a couple of times in other countries. However, in the second phase of Innova's campaign in India, we are trying to be 'innovative', the value the brand represents."

Toyoshima explains the strategy behind selecting Khan as the Innova brand ambassador: "Aamir Khan stands for all the fundamental values of the brand, Innova, which includes perfection, innovation, versatility and performance.

"We now want Innova to be positioned as an aspirational and lifestyle brand for Indians. And Aamir Khan, with his image, is the perfect fit to get the message across."

"Khan is an actor who breaks stereotypical moulds and creates new roles for himself. Similarly, Innova is also trying to innovate itself as both a passenger car and a multi-purpose vehicle," adds Toyoshima.

Interestingly, Khan has been brought in to endorse Innova when the first phase of the campaign is already over.

Gullu Sen, chief creative officer, Dentsu India, explains: "At the time of the launch, it was important to communicate and showcase the product per se, since it was a category creator - 'never seen before' in India. We believe it is time now to provide a new dimension to the brand by personifying it through the values that we believe denote the brand."

For the record, Dentsu India handles the advertising communications for Toyota Innova in India.

Innova is only the third brand that Khan has agreed to endorse after Coca-Cola and Titan watches. In fact, Khan is believed to be very choosy when it comes to endorsing brands, just the way he is with his movies.

Khan agrees, "I am rather choosy about the brands that I endorse. It's mainly my passion for cars that motivated me to endorse Innova."

He adds, "Innova is a first of its kind product in India, and it stands for high quality, attention to detail, leadership and perfection."

The actor will promote Innova through both conventional media campaigns and on-ground promotions.